A conman's Predicament
by Annn99
Summary: Alternate universe after "Digging Deeper" and then, it takes off from the latest "Shot through the heart" - Neal's diamond quest and healing to his heart. Season 5 spoilers flying all over the place
1. Chapter 1

**After Digging Deeper, I almost cried when Neal told Peter that Rebecca looked at him the way Elle looked at him... Oh God! Damn you WC writers, why are you so damn good?! ANyway, this is just a scene that in my wildest dreams could happen next... I kinda liked Rebecca, but then again, I never trusted her... plus, we all know that Neal's weakness are women and after he confessed to Dr Summers that the word "women" was related to "Hope", well... it was bound to end badly... (sad for Neal) And being a Sara fan, I'm throwing a bit of spice in this story too ;) **

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_"She looks at me the way Elle looks at you"_ were words that had been haunting Peter Burke since that night at the Clifton. He never imagined Neal to feel like this, he suddenly felt a whole new responsibility as a role model to Neal and understood a whole new meaning to their relationship. Neal had definitely changed a lot since he arrested him for the first time, he had grown but mostly, Peter had a feeling that Neal was beginning to accept his need for a normal life, the life which he ran from at age eighteen. Peter realized that Neal never had a true father figure and it dawned on him that maybe he was beginning to see Peter as one. But who was Peter Burke? And what was it that Elle saw in him that Neal wanted to have or be as well?

"Hon, what do you see when you look at me?" asked Peter startling Elle from her book. It was a Sunday morning and they were just going over their routine, Peter watching the NFL pre-game analysis while Elle read and Satchmo just played with something on the floor.

"Huh? What do you mean?" said Elle peeking briefly from her book

Peter muted the TV and turned to look at his lovely wife. He stared at her analyzing her and trying to decipher something in her eyes

"Peter?" said Elle now frowning

"Oh, just curious about it, you know? Like, I'm always reading people but I never know how I look or how is people reading me" said Peter shrugging and rambling

Elle tilted her head amused and smiled with sparkling eyes "If you were a book, you'd be something written by Saramago. That's how you read to me"

Peter raised his eyebrows in surprise "Saramago? Wow, what does that mean?"

"Well…" said Elle caressing softly Peter's arm "You're smart, complex yet concrete, but at the same time you have this ability of exposing the truth in a careful way, no matter how hard it is. And you have the perfect balance between a good heart and a good mind, which comes in handy when making decisions, not impulsive but thoughtful and kind, yet fair and wise. And I feel safe with you, I know that no matter what happens, as long as I'm with you I will be fine"

"You see all that?!" asked Peter overwhelmed with so many compliments and having a hard time seeing how this could be possible

"Yes, just to put it mildly. Why do you ask?" stated Elizabeth confidently

"It's just that, ah… Neal told me that the reason he was hiding the truth to Rebecca about who he really is, was because she looked at him the way you looked at me and not just like a criminal, but I just…" said Peter having a hard time expressing all the emotion he saw in Neal's eyes

Elizabeth responded with pursed lips and a sniff "Aw Neal…"

Peter looked at her frowning "Yeah, but still, it is wrong that he's lying so don't encourage him please"

"Honey, you have to talk to him and I don't mean as an interrogation performed by SAC Burke, but really talk as his friend. Do you see how big of an interpersonal development this is for Neal?" asked Elizabeth getting all worked-up emotionally

Peter sighed "I know. I guess I've known for a long time that Neal is really trying hard to settle down and find his own place. When Keller kidnapped you, he told me that he had a fight with Mozzie because he didn't want to go with him and the treasure and do you know why?"

"Why?" prodded Elle

"He told me: Because of you, Elizabeth, Sara…" recalled Peter wistfully

Elle smiled "Neal is a good man, he is just finding his way again and you, Peter Burke, are his main compass" – she kissed his cheek and added "Go talk to him, hon"

Peter hated emotional confrontations but he knew he had to, he owed it to Neal. He grabbed his car keys and headed to Riverside Drive.

**In the meantime…**

Neal was still very shaken by his recent encounter with Hagen chit-chatting with June casually on the sidewalk. He was terrified that, once again, his loved ones were being threatened by his criminal world.

"Neal!" he heard Rebecca hollering at him from inside his room. He was at the terrace sipping his coffee, waiting for her to finish showering

"Hi, everything ok?" he said turning around with a smile

"Um, apparently not, I've been talking at you for the past 5 minutes with no answer, you seem miles away. What's wrong?" she asked concerned

"Nothing! I just have a lot on my mind. Did you get a nice shower?" he asked with a perfectly masked face and smile

"Yeah, thanks, not so nice all by myself though" she said smiling mischievously and blushing at the same time. Neal just smiled; seeing Rebecca's attempts at flirting were just too cute.

"Someone brought that envelope while you went to get coffee" she said signaling the table

Neal walked there and read that the zip code was from London… he immediately got excited and opened the envelope taking out a postcard from a British soldier at Buckingham palace. He turned it around and started reading…

_"Caffrey, stop laughing: Yes I'm sending a postcard, still don't expect 700! My team just recovered a stolen painting from the National Gallery, mid Renaissance, Marco del Buono's Birth Tray: The Triumph of Love… made me think of you… Miss you. Sara"_

Neal took a sharp intake of air in his lungs and couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. She hadn't forgotten about him, he thought… He read again the postcard…

"What is it?" he felt Rebecca's small hand on his shoulder interrupting his moment. He immediately pressed the postcard to his chest.

"Um, nothing, a letter from an old friend" he said nervously and put the postcard inside the envelope again "So, you had a nice shower then? I'll have to see that for myself next time" he said smiling sweetly and putting a strand of wet red hair behind her ear, succeeding on making her blush and distracting her from the postcard

There was a knock on the door. "You expecting someone?" asked Rebecca

Neal shook his head and went to the door "Who is it?"

"It's me" came Peter's voice

Rebecca instantly panicked "Oh my God! He can't see me here! This is soooo embarrassing!"

Neal chuckled "Relax" he said with a smirk – "Hi Peter!"

"Hi Neal, hope this isn't a bad time but I needed to talk to you…" stopped Peter when he saw that it was indeed a bad time. Rebecca freshly showered, bed unmade… "Oh, I'm sorry, I'll come back later"

"No! Please Agent Burke, I was just leaving. Nice seeing you again, please say hello to your lovely wife. Bye Neal" said Rebecca all in one sentence running for the door while picking up her belongings

"Rebecca, wait, you don't have to go" tried Neal and then sighed in defeat when he saw her practically at the door "I'll call you later"

Once she was out, Neal turned to look at Peter with an annoyed look "Again? Crashing a friend's date is not nice, Peter"

Hands in pockets, shifting his weight sheepishly, Peter just smiled "Had a nice evening yesterday?"

"As a matter of fact I did and I was also having a very nice morning, mind you" answered Neal arms crossed

Peter nodded "I'm sorry… so did you tell her everything?"

Neal sighed "Want some orange juice? Yes I did"

"Yes please. That's great because from what I can see, she didn't bolt for the door" said Peter smiling truly happy for his friend

Neal poured and sat down at the table "She was upset at first but then, well…" he said not being able to hide his little smile anymore

Peter laughed "That's great. I'm really happy for you, Neal"

Neal just looked at him with a little shy smile and Peter noticed. He remembered his conversation with Elle… "You know, I've always known that is just a matter of time for you to settle down and find your way. You deserve to be happy, Neal. You're a great man"

Neal stared at him with an unreadable expression "Thanks, Peter. It means a lot coming from you"

"So, you think this might be it? That you can fall for Rebecca I mean" asked Peter as if he was a 15 year old girl

Neal frowned shaking his head "Whoa, slow down. It's too soon to tell, Peter. I do like her but I just think that maybe love is not for me…" said Neal with an air of nostalgia

"Oh come on, if you say it because of Kate, you can't…" started Peter but Neal interrupted

"Because of Kate, because of Sara… I can't seem to hold on to them" said Neal getting a little frustrated "It's ok, not everyone can be Byron"

Peter frowned trying to understand what that last statement meant "You mean that with Sara, you really wanted to…"

"Yes Peter, I think… I think I was falling for Sara but who am I to hold her down. She has so much to live for and be happy for… and I'm happy for her but…" said Neal with an unusual openness

"You miss her" Peter finished the sentence for him and Neal just nodded "But, what about this whole Rebecca looks at me like Elle looks at you? I thought this was a first for you?"

Neal sighed "Sara was just in a whole different level. She didn't look at me, she looked through me. She always knew what I was and yet, she was willing to get to know and care for the real me. She never took any of my bullshit. She didn't care that I was a criminal, she even encouraged mischief as long as it was being used with a good heart, she said. And she just, she was always willing to put herself in the line for me. I mean, she went to friking Argentina to track down Adler for God's sake!" he said gesticulating with his hands

"Why didn't you ask her to stay then?" asked Peter tentatively after a while

"I can't do that to her, Peter. I owe her so much, if it hadn't been for her, I'd be in DC with Kramer and then with my father and how she helped me with Kate…" he sighed and ran a hand through his hair "The last thing that I could do was condemning her to this" he said signaling to his anklet "when she has so much ahead of her"

Peter was speechless and could do nothing but listen intently to his friend. It was such a rare thing to have Neal opening up like this and so Peter was not going to ruin this moment.

"And just when I was beginning to move on and actually feel happy with someone else, this happens" said Neal throwing the postcard towards Peter

Peter took the envelope and read the postcard. He didn't quite understand, he imagined they shared some sort of private joke with the 700 but he understood the broad meaning of it… "What do you want to do about it?"

"I don't know… what if she's waiting for me to finish my sentence and then go look for her?" he said with hope in his eyes

"Um, I honestly don't know what to tell you, Neal… maybe you can talk to her?" said Peter feeling a little uncomfortable; he wished Elle was here, she was so good at these types of conversations "I mean, it's possible, you have only one year's sentence left. You'll have to behave really well now" said Peter attempting at humor

Neal felt stabbed in the stomach… what he was currently doing with Hagen was not exactly behaving and it was jeopardizing his possibility of being free in one year and it was all to help Peter… He tightened his jaw in frustration. It was a lose-lose situation.

How Neal managed to get himself in these predicaments was beyond him; he only knew that he had to rush into cutting the strings with Hagen before it all blows-up in his face hurting everyone around him.

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**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, so finally I decided to post this. I'm really shaken and very much on edge with the latest developments of Season 5. Seriously, not funny, I can't sleep! Damn you, White collar... Anyway, this chapter picks up from the last one where Neal received the postcard from Sara but in canon, it picks up from the last 5x11 Shot through the heart. If you haven't seen that one, you won't probably understand.**

**I intend to finish this story before this thursday's episode, so it will be a couple more chapters maybe. **

**Let me know your thoughts. Feedback might be the only thing that helps me sleep :)**

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**Chapter 2**

Neal hung up the phone having mixed feelings for Rebecca, Rachel, whoever she was. His brain told him that it was only natural for a con to continue as a game and he knew he had to play along even if he didn't want to. "See you soon", not as a threat but as a promise, she said. Neal believed her, he wasn't afraid for his life. If she wanted to kill him, she had had way too many opportunities to do so now, but he was afraid of what her thirst for revenge or her ambition to recover the diamond could make her do.

This wasn't Keller, the maniac chess player, nor Adler the ambitious neo-nazi, and certainly not yellow-teeth-Fowler who would bark at the master in turn. This was an MI5 trained agent who had conned him into believing they could have a future together; she was smart and she was beautiful… she was a woman, the only thing that made Neal lose focus and all his IQ points. That's why Alex had got him so many times before but Alex was safe, she had never killed anyone, she was much like him, only doing it for the fun, for the rush. But Rebecca had killed people and killing left the fun out of the equation, plus she was a trained killer, she didn't miss or killed out of nervousness or by accident, she killed with calculated accuracy. Neal shivered at this thought. He looked at his bed and felt nausea all over him… not many days ago he had shared his bed with this woman and made love to her. Yes, that's right, he had made love to her. He had been honest and yet…

He shook his head and went inside his apartment. This train of thought was doing no good for him. He reached for his phone and dialed a familiar number… on the second ring he picked up

"Mozz, it's me. Come to my place, now" he said to his faithful friend. He needed to put a plan into action and quickly.

Mozz was still going over his process of retrieving the codex from the depths of his mind and after his first bottle of wine, Neal had gotten tired

"Mozz, hate to rush you but we gotta move. Clock ticking, Rebecca could be breaking out of prison as we speak" he said

"I still don't understand why you don't get the suit involved in this. It's not like you have anything left to hide" said Mozzie sighing with frustration

"Peter's out of the equation. Now speed up rainman" said Neal really losing patience

Mozzie frowned at him "Do you really want to get this diamond and run? Because let me tell you something, this isn't exactly an easy fence, once we get it, we'll have to keep it quiet for a while before making any profit" rambled the shorter man and caught Neal's look of despair, while looking out of the window "Neal? you ok?"

"Damn it Mozzie, just hurry up ok?!" bursted Neal

Mozzie, never thrown-off by Neal's tantrums just crossed his arms and lifted his chin defiantly "You're not getting anything out of me unless you tell me the real reason why we're doing this"

"Seriously?" deadpanned Neal irritated. Mozzie just raised an eyebrow confirming his position

Neal sighed and sat down at the dining-room table. He took a sip of wine and looked at his glass

"Well?" pushed Mozzie

"It hurts" said Neal quietly

Mozzie had to lean on the table to make sure he heard Neal's muffled voice. He had only seen Neal like this when Kate died…

"Rebecca?" asked Mozzie and Neal just nodded briefly "So we're doing this for her and then what? You'll run with her and you'll live happily ever-after, fugitives with a huge diamond in your hands?" he added

Neal frowned looking up and shook his head "It's not like that"

"Then what is it, Neal? You're just gonna waste all these years for nothing? To run away with a murderer? Have you gone ape?!" said Mozzie with labored breathing

Neal smirked "Is that your way of saying you love me, old friend?"

"Seriously, Neal, you're not making any sense" said Mozzie taking a long gulp of wine "I need more of this" he finished standing up to go for a refill

"It hurts that Rebecca lied to me but I don't want to run with her. I just need to have the upper hand in this game" said Neal

"Is that it? So why not get the FBI involved? You know Peter would help you" asked Mozzie

Neal couldn't help but smile at the irony of how things had changed so much with Mozzie's loyalty to the Feds. But it hurt too much to answer his question so he just shook his head

"But you said the suit had come around and you were in good terms now, aren't you?" asked Mozzie

Neal shook his head again "Peter doesn't care anymore" he stated emotionless and just sat there looking blankly at the table

Mozzie looked at his friend and tried to figure him out. He didn't need to think any further when he saw that a single tear had escaped from Neal's left eye and he didn't even bother on removing it. So that's what hurt so much, not Rebecca, but Peter… sure he was leaving off to DC but he could still help, right? There was something Neal was hiding, Mozzie thought.

Neal kept looking at the table blankly "I heard him telling Jones that he… he said he regrets having me all these years. I've only ruined his life. He's running away from me too…"

Mozz didn't know what to say "Neal, that's not true…" he started saying but then realized that Neal said Peter was running away 'too'. It clicked on him the hidden meaning of this. Neal had started seeing Peter as a father figure and he was now going away, just like James had. Sure, for different reasons but the truth was, Peter was going away. "Neal…"

"It's ok Mozz, I'm used to it now. I'm a conman right? No strings attached, no roots" he said with a fake smile "And yes, I want the diamond to leverage on Rebecca, to have it for us and then go away and start a new life, you, Lolana and me. How's that?" he added with the same fake smile

Mozzie shook his head "Neal, stop fooling yourself. That isn't who you are anymore"

"Then who am I, huh?!" said Neal raising his voice startling the shorter man "I'm tired of not knowing where I belong and tired of conning myself into believing I can be a good man, find a woman to love and settle down with a dog. But then again, I'm not even a decent conman anymore, I'm not brave enough, I'm always afraid and always balancing if it's right or wrong, sometimes I do feel remorse but others I don't or maybe it's just me lying to myself. I don't know anymore and in the end, the truth is I'm still the same piece of shit I was when I ran from home. I am no one! No one!" he finished hitting the table flat with his hands and breathing hard.

Mozzie didn't know what to do or say, he was aching for his friend… "You are my best friend" was the only thing that came out "You're the only family I've ever known" he added shyly

Neal looked up and some of the rage in his eyes subsided. He blinked a couple of times and reached for Mozz's bald head to rest a hand there and gave him a small smile which Mozz returned as well. No more words were spoken, just mute looks of respect, love and loyalty between the two friends.

Mozzie grabbed the pen and sheets of paper scattered on the table and in 5 minutes he had traced the codex puzzle in each of the sheets. "Here it is… I've had some time to decipher it and I know what it means but before I tell you, I need to make sure you will be fine"

Neal was in shock at his friend's brilliance but also a little annoyed at his constant worry "Mozz, I'll be fine, I promise"

"Will you keep me in at all times?" asked Mozzie

"You afraid I'll cut you off? C'mon man" said Neal trying to joke

"No, I'm afraid you'll get yourself killed. We need to do this together, no working behind me or sidestepping" insisted the older man

"You sound too much like Peter" joked Neal with a smirk

Mozz glared at him and Neal sighed in defeat "Alright, I promise" he said

"Good… ok, so these symbols are not a language but a deformation of letter and numbers in the old Roman alphabet. They can only be read through a mirror, much like Da Vinci did with his diaries" explained Mozzie while Neal listened intently "So I started deciphering and the symbols are not coordinates but they spell a message, a phrase actually"

"Which is?" prompted Neal

"Sita winks to deceive. Hope is fake when Love is fierce like a lion" recited Mozz

"What? A riddle?" said Neal annoyed

Mozzie dug his hands in his pockets "Well yes, but I dug around some more and I think I know what it means"

"Ok, go on!" rushed Neal

"Turns out Sita's statue was winking, so she's hiding one eye, which means according to the riddle, there might not be a twin diamond. So the one at the Smithsonian might be the only one" explained Mozzie

"Maybe, but what about the rest of the riddle?" asked Neal getting up and going over and over the riddle. He got an idea "The diamond at the Smithsonian is called the Hope Diamond so what if it's a fake and the only real diamond from Sita's statue is hidden somewhere else?" suggested Neal pacing around his apartment

"Oh, good theory. But what about the lion and the love?" asked Mozzie

"Was there a specific way in which the letters were written? I mean, where there capital letters?" asked Neal

Mozzie thought for a moment "Yeah. Capitals for Sita, Hope and Love"

"Those are names… what if someone named Love has the real diamond?" asked Neal getting excited at solving the puzzle

"And this person might own a lion as a pet?" asked Mozzie making Neall glare at him. He got real again sensing Neal was not in the mood for jokes "Ok, there's a possibility but do you know how many people there are with the name Love?" asked Mozzie wrinkling his nose

"Maybe a deformation of the name…" thought out loud Neal and suddenly he stopped death in his tracks "Mozz, how was the word Love spelled?"

"Mmm well in ancient Roman, the letter V is drawn…" he started

Neal cut him off "Like a W… so it was spelled Lowe, wasn't it?"

It dawned on Mozz and they both said at the same time "Rebecca Lowe"

"That doesn't make any sense! If she has the real diamond and she has had it all along, then why would she do all this?" asked Mozzie breathing heavily

"Because she wanted to play a game… with me" said Neal sending chills to his own spine

"But why?!" insisted Mozzie

"I don't know Mozz…" said Neal seating down defeated and clueless

The next morning, after kissing his wife goodbye, Peter drove to his office with a million thoughts in his head. The most prominent being that he wanted to make amends with Neal, set things straight and make sure he knew how much Peter cared for him, how much he owed to him and how much he hoped for a great future for him. He was determined to make it right and not leave any loose ends in NY. He took a sip at his coffee mug and pressed on the gas pedal into the traffic. The phone interrupted his happy reverie…

"This is Burke" he answered cheerfully

"Hi Peter, how's it going!" said a very cheerful vaguely familiar female voice

"Sara? Is that you?" he said incredulous

"Yeah! Good ear Agent Burke!" she answered happily

"It's good to hear from you!" he said

"Yeah, well, you might be seeing me too" she answered

"You coming to New York?" he asked

"Maybe I'll stop by… I was called in from British intelligence to consult on a diamond case that was supposedly safely insured over here in my jurisdiction but it might be a fake so I need to go sign paperwork and all because the owner donated the piece many years ago to the Smithsonian. Of course back then it was insured by one million dollars but today, it should be the most expensive diamond out there, more than 250 million worth" she explained

"Wow, that's not cheap. So you're going to DC then" said Peter

"Yeah, I arrived this morning. I'm on my way to a meeting, but I was planning on making a little detour to NY afterwards and visit old friends" she said a little more quietly

Peter held his breath, Neal would be very happy to hear this but then again, she was only visiting… "That's great, Sara, it would be very nice to catch up"

"Yeah Mr. big shot in DC! News travel fast and I heard you're leaving NY soon" she said

Peter chuckled "Yes, I am. In two weeks"

"Wow, that's a big change. Congratulations, Peter. Will you be taking extra luggage with you? Like maybe a 6 feet blue-eyed CI?" she teased

Peter laughed at this "I wish I could but nah, Neal's staying here. Soon he'll be out of the anklet and he'll be free to do whatever he pleases"

Sara did a sharp intake of air "Hhhmm time flies huh? Well, that's great for Neal. I think he deserves it, he has changed a lot and he's a good man". Truth is, she was keeping track of time every single day; she knew exactly when Neal's sentence was over, but of course Peter didn't need to know that.

Her words resonated all through the car's speaker and made Peter realize he felt the same way and it made him smile "Yeah, he deserves to be happy… are you gonna invite him to spend some time overseas as celebratory vacation?" he teased

Sara laughed nervously "Sure, why not!"

Peter smirked "So, who will you be meeting in DC? I'm sure the FBI will be involved, jurisdiction and all. I might be able to help"

"Oh, she didn't say anything about meeting with the FBI… she said she wanted to keep it low profile for now, arrange paperwork and all" she said

Peter frowned, that was not usual protocol "So British intelligence will just waltz around American territory keeping it low? That's not right"

Sara laughed "Relax, Peter, MI5 is very professional; I don't think they will pull one over our beloved country"

"MI5 you said?" asked Peter with a little panic in his voice

"Yeah"

"What's the name of the agent you're meeting?" he asked and the line went dead "Sara? Hello? Damn it!" he tried calling back but it didn't go through

Peter pressed on the gas pedal and two blocks from the FBI building his phone rang again. He answered immediately "Sara?"

"Peter, it's me" said Jones

"What's up, Jones"

"Rachel Turner escaped from prison. The guards just noticed an hour ago but she might have left since last night" said Jones on the other end

"Damn it!" cursed Peter loudly


	3. Chapter 3

"Hmm that's strange…" murmured Sara wondering why her phone had suddenly gone dead, 'there must be really bad reception here' she thought

The car kept on going all along the Potomac and Sara was in awe at the beauty of this city, it had been a while since she had been in DC. She sighed happily, she missed home and it just felt right to be here in American soil.

"Ma'am can I offer you a drink while we get there?" asked the driver to Sara. The MI5 agent had insisted on providing transportation for her due to security reasons and now she was traveling fancy in the back of a large Lincoln semi-limo.

"No, thanks, I'm good" she answered and leaned back relaxing "How far are we?"

"Not far… we'll be there soon" answered the driver

**In the meantime… **

"Bruce, it's me. I need your help. An inmate we just incarcerated here in NY broke out of prison last night and I have reason to believe she might be in DC" said Peter in one breath over the phone

"What? Why do you think that, Peter?" said Bruce a little confused

"I just… I can't tell you yet. But please help me out while I get there, I'm on my way to the airport. Prisoner's name is Rachel Turner, she's dangerous, trained MI5 agent turned into murderer. I'm emailing you a picture of her" explained Peter while grabbing his briefcase and heading to the airport

"Peter, that's serious business. I'll see what I can do" said Bruce and hung up

Peter debated whether or not to tell Neal about this. He didn't know if he could handle it but Peter knew his young friend and if anything happened, he would never forgive him for not telling him. He took his phone out and speed-dialed number 2

"Neal, meet me at JFK. No questions, just hurry up. Now" he demanded over the phone once Neal had picked-up and as soon as he said that, he just hung up. He didn't want to explain over the phone.

Neal stood there frowning but obliged. Peter's voice sounded urgent and Neal knew he shouldn't object. He grabbed his hat and left for the door.

Next thing, Peter called the Marshalls "This is ASAC Burke, NY White Collar division" he said and had to clear his throat, soon enough, that wouldn't be his title anymore… "I'm calling to inform I'll be deactivating tracking anklet number 675438 Neal Caffrey, for unlimited time to travel to DC for an urgent operation. I'll be in custody of the subject… thanks" and he hung up sighing.

In DC…

20 minutes later, the car stopped and the driver got off the car. Sara tried for the door but it wouldn't open "What the hell?". The driver opened it extending his hand like the perfect gentleman.

Sara smiled. This was what she called special treatment. She got off the car and took a look at her surroundings… she wasn't very familiar with DC but from the looks of it, they were somewhere in Georgetown.

"This way ma'am" said the driver pointing to an old looking building made of stone, typical of this side of town.

She got in and found an amazing collection of paintings and sculptures scattered around the place, it looked like an art exhibit but of pieces that Sara didn't recall seeing in any museum so this must be a private collection. Still, a strange place for a meeting with an MI5 agent

"Hello?" asked Sara to no one in particular

"I'll be there in a minute Miss Ellis" answered a female voice from somewhere "Please take a seat"

Sara did as told in the center of the room, where a very nice set of red velvet couches were located. She was very intrigued by all of this but she figured this must be common for MI5 operations... 'This is what must've inspired the Bond movies' she thought and chuckled at her own foolish thought.

10 minutes later a woman came out from the back dressed in a black pencil skirt and business jacket, very professional looking, with moderated heels and her red curly hair tight in to a ponytail. She was wearing glasses and a charming smile; she was very beautiful, thought Sara. "Miss Ellis, nice to meet you, I'm Rachel Turner"

"Nice to meet you Agent Turner" said Sara politely shaking her hand and smiling

"Please call me Rachel. Thanks for coming all the way here" she said and sat down next to her. She was holding a dark wood box "Let's get to the point, this is the diamond supposedly insured by your company" she said opening the box

"Oh wow… that's a big rock!" said Sara in shock

"It is" said the agent smiling sweetly "Can you authenticate it?"

"Um, I can take a look at it but my expertise on diamonds is not good. And if it is a forgery, it is a damn good one, I couldn't tell the difference" said Sara kind of sheepishly; she was an art expert but when it came to diamonds, she wasn't so sure "Oh but I know someone who could authenticate it!" she said excitedly

Rachel smiled "Oh really? Who would that be?" tone dripping with irony

"Um, his name is Neal Caffrey, he works for FBI and he's an expert on forgeries" said Sara, it wasn't necessary to be specific on where did Neal got his expertise from, specially not with an MI5 agent

"Great, can you call him?" asked Rachel handing her phone to her

"Um sure, but he's in New York and I'm not sure if he would be able to come here…" said Sara doubtful now and feeling stupid. Of course Neal wouldn't be able to travel here, he would have to come with Peter and ask for a special permission to the marshals and it was a long process… she sighed, the truth would have to come out "He's um, a reformed convict working as a CI for the FBI so he isn't allowed to fly out of NY by himself unless we get a permit from his handler at the Bureau. But maybe someone in DC has the expertise to authenticate this? I might have misunderstood you over the phone, otherwise I would've come prepared to go through this protocol with Sterling Bosh's own resources" she said raising her eyebrow a little annoyed at this agent

Rachel smiled. So this woman had guts… "Not a problem, we can still do this. Why don't you give this authenticator a call and then we'll see from there, huh?" she finished handing Sara her phone

"Sure" said Sara taking it and dialing the number without hesitation

Rachel tightened her jaw when she saw the familiarity of which she knew Neal's number by heart

On the second ring, Neal answered and Sara released the breath she didn't know she was holding, she hadn't spoken with him since she left, can you blame her? "Hi Neal" she said a little too sweet over the phone, she cringed and immediately regretted it. MI5 didn't need to know about her past with him "Um, how's it going?"

"Sara! Hi! This is unexpected?" said Neal with evident excitement in his voice

"Yeah, well… Um, am I interrupting? I need to consult on something" she asked

"Not at all, I'm on my way to the airport… so I'm assuming you didn't call to talk about your postcard then?" he said charmingly

Sara smiled and she was pretty sure she blushed but did her best to hide it from Agent Turner who was only looking at her with a raised eyebrow and pursed lips, unamused.

"I need your help with an authentication" answered Sara in utter business-like manner

"Oh, I see, you are not alone and I'm embarrassing you because you're doing your best to not smile and blush at my incredible charm" he deadpanned smiling into the cab's window

Sara had to tighten her jaw so hard to stop from grinning, she was afraid it might break. Damn you, Caffrey, she thought. "I'm in DC and…" she started but was cut of

"What? Are you coming to NY?" he asked excitedly

She couldn't help but smile "I might. Now, first, I need your help authenticating a diamond but it's here in DC… you think you could ask Peter for permission? It's an international business and MI5 is requesting this service"

"MI5?" asked Neal a little confused

"Yeah, I'm gonna let Agent Rachel Turner explain further to you, hold on" said Sara passing the phone over

Neal felt like his whole life had escaped from his body and his blood had drained from his veins. He immediately gripped the phone tighter and prepared for what he knew was coming

"Hello Mr. Caffrey, nice meeting you over the phone, I'm sure the FBI will be very cooperative in this important matter and we'll be meeting in person soon" said Rachel with a smirk

"You leave her out of this!" yelled Neal on the phone feeling totally helpless

"Right, I'm glad to hear you're happy to help. Are you familiar with the Hope diamond?" she said ignoring him

"Rebecca, I swear… you don't know what I'm capable of" he said through gritted teeth

"Oh that's great! So you've been studying it lately, huh? That's very helpful. We need you to come here and authenticate it for us… and please don't bother the FBI, it's just a routine job, I'm sure we don't need them, just come by yourself" she said charmingly

Sara frowned at the almost flirty tone that the agent was using with Neal… 'wait till you see how he looks', she thought smiling to herself and Neal's impossible charm.

"Who you want is me, I'll go. But please leave her out of this" he said sounding more vulnerable than he intended

"Oh that's great! I'm so happy to hear the anklet won't be a problem and that you can be here so soon! It's on Walnut street 45, Georgetown. See you soon" said Rachel repeating the promise she made over the phone last night and then, she just hung up the phone

* * *

**So, I didn't have time to finish before tonight's episode so now it officially goes into Alternate universe... TBC**

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Neal is coming soon. Aren't you excited?" asked Rachel turning to look at Sara with a little smile

Sara frowned. Something in her face had changed, plus, she was calling him by his name as if he knew him… "He is? That's good…" she said playing along but already looking around for exits or something. She had a bad feeling about all this. "I have some business to take care of, so I'll be going and come back when he arrives" she said standing up

Rachel pulled out a gun from somewhere and pointed it at her face "you're not going anywhere, Sara" she said removing her glasses

Sara gasped not understanding anything "who are you?"

"Are you stupid?" said Rachel, rolling her eyes "I told you, name's Rachel Turner. But… Neal knows me as Rebecca" she added with a little wistful smile

Sara was getting more and more confused by the minute. It wasn't the first time she had a gun pointed at her and she didn't feel that scared, but looking at this woman, who apparently had an agenda of her own, made Sara's blood run cold "Look, I don't want any trouble. If you want the diamond, then…"

"Shut up" said Rachel in a tired voice "You're so boring… seriously, I don't get it… tell me, Repo, why did Neal like you so much?" she said now removing her suit jacket and siting down casually

Sara swallowed at hearing the nickname that Neal used with her, no one else called her Repo and no one else had the right to do so, let alone some psycho woman. She was getting pissed "Look, I have no idea who you really are but the FBI is on its way here and you are not gonna get away with whatever maquiavelic plan you have" she said hiding any trace of fear in her voice, despite of the fact that she was shaking at hearing this woman having so much information on her life.

Rachel put down the gun for a while and crossed her arms. She tilted her head to one side and focused on Sara, looking at every single detail on her, from head to toe. Perfect manicure and make-up, very expensive designer clothes, high heels… of course Neal would like a Barbie-doll, she thought bitterly. She then looked at the hair which wasn't red anymore; it had been what inspired Rebecca's look. She had started with black hair and her natural blue eyes to be pretty much identical to Kate, the damsel in distress who had made Neal escape prison in the most romantic (and idiotic) act she had ever seen; then she thought on putting on brown contacts and brown hair to be like sexy Alex but then, she decided the fiery red hair of Sara was the best and with her own blue eyes, she would be perfect combination of pure innocent Kate and witty feisty Sara… Rachel sighed and looked at Sara's green/hazel frightened eyes… poor little Sara, she thought sarcastically. After a minute of silent contemplation, she spoke "Since we're gonna be here for a while, we might as well become friends, shall we?"

"Oh sure, let's do our nails, darling" fired back Sara

Rachel smiled… "Oh so you've got a sense of humor? Good. Then you'll find my story with Neal very funny"

Two can play this game, figured Sara. "Aahh I see, you're one of Neal's ladies, huh?" she said smirking "Is this what it's all about? He got into your pants and then dumped you for some diamond and now you're pissed off and want revenge?"

Something in Rachel's face twitched and even when Sara was pretty much exposing painful memories of her own, she was glad to be gaining some leverage on the situation, seeing that this woman was clearly affected by that.

"I said I was going to share MY story… not yours, darling" said Rachel through gritted teeth and a devilish smile

So much for gaining leverage, Sara thought. She felt stabbed in the stomach. It was painful to remember back then when she broke up with Neal because of the treasure and she just swallowed back tears.

Rachel chuckled seeing Sara's fighting mood deflated "Touchy subject?" she said laughing "Going to Cape Verde with Neal would've been soooo romantic. But then again, he didn't want to take you with him"

"I didn't wanna go" blurted Sara, not really caring anymore about where or how this woman knew so much but impulsively fighting back and protecting her ego

"Oh that's right, too much of a good girl you are… but not as good as Kate" she teased smirking

Sara just remained quiet and began thinking of a way to get out of here. Her baton was on her purse but this woman had a gun, so not really an advantage there… unless, she played to her ego and distracted her to take the gun from her. It was risky but she knew she had to do something until Peter or Neal formulated a plan.

"So I was saying… Neal and I had a very nice adventure. I have to say, having a man like Neal fall for you, wow, it's exciting, isn't it? Oh wait, you wouldn't know! You never let him get close to you, I mean…" said Rachel standing up and getting closer to Sara, "how could you go to London even when he proposed to you like that? Did your parents really traumatize you that much as a child, to make you incapable of loving someone? You really prefer to be alone on the other side of the world?"

Sara could see every freckle on the woman's face by how close she had gotten. She took a deep breath and put her mask on. Show time… "You're right… I was never able to let my walls down and Neal never got over Kate… I had to get away" she said looking down at her fingers, she wasn't a skilled liar but as long as she avoided eye-contact, she could try.

Rebecca frowned at the sudden change in attitude but, something about the way Sara admitted her defeat, made her smile and relax.

Sara tried a brief look at Rachel only to make a dramatic sigh and close her eyes "I was never a match for Neal… he needed someone fearless, reckless…" she then looked at her with poisonous eyes "you look the part"

Rebecca actually grinned at that "Do I, really?"

"Well, I'm sure you stole that diamond so that makes a mischievous thief. Check. You are a gorgeous woman, check. You seem smart enough to trick Neal into coming here even with his anklet. Check… want me to continue?" said Sara with angered features

Rachel kept on smiling "You know, Sara, I underestimated you. Even when I know you're lying, it's still nice to see the perfect Sara Ellis so desperate"

Sara clenched her jaw and, taking advantage of Rachel's proximity, grabbed her free hand and kicked the other holding the gun. In a matter of seconds, the gun flew through the air, Sara took out her baton and Rachel fought back and punched Sara on the face taking the baton out of her hands and pushing her hard on the couch.

Sara groaned in pain while Rachel stood there breathing hard pointing the baton at her "Now, why on earth would you carry this on your purse?!" she said amused

"Lots of dangerous, crazy bitches out there" said Sara rubbing her face in pain

Rachel laughed out loud "You know, I'm starting to like you, Sara. In different circumstances, we could've been friends"

"It's never too late. Let's talk about boys!" said Sara mock-excited

Rachel pursed her lips "I don't appreciate you mocking me" and then she smiled dreamily "But I do like your idea… let's talk about Neal"

Sara glared at her. Right now, she hated Neal for dragging her into this mess. Whatever he had done to this psycho, she didn't wanna know. Rachel seemed a little too obsessed with him and sure, what woman wouldn't be attracted to Neal, but Sara was beginning to see this went way beyond a summer fling. This Rachel woman was indeed a trained agent, she knew how to handle guns and she sure had a killer left hook. This wasn't your average criminal and she was smart enough to have conned Neal into her bed to make him do whatever she pleased. Sara shuddered at the thought, not only because picturing Neal with other women was a recurring nightmare of hers, but because she understood the feeling having had her own experience with Brian the tai-chi killer. She also felt bad for having called Neal a sociopath; clearly she hadn't known a real sociopath until now. She made a mental note to apologize to Neal once this was over.

"I hope you don't mind me cuffing you, bestie. I just don't want you to do anything stupid again" said Rachel cuffing Sara harshly

"Oh don't worry, Neal and I used to play a lot with handcuffs… you know, he taught me how to pick them and all, nothing else, I promise" said Sara batting her lashes innocently and smiling mischievously, successfully erasing Rachel's smug smile

"He does have very skillful hands" said Rachel through gritted teeth

Oh boy, this is gonna be a long day, thought Sara. Neal better hurry up. She only had so much patience and opposite to popular opinion, she wasn't made of stone.

* * *

**After last night's episode, Taking Stock, I just fell in love with Rebecca as a villain, LOL. I know it sounds crazy but I love her character! So as you can imagine, I had a lot of fun writting this chapter. Now I don't intend on this being humorous, but I hope you appreciate the huge potential in getting Rebecca and Sara in the same room... (snickers) **

**Let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks so much for your reviews, follows and favorites! I'm very happy you're enjoying this story :)**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

The minute Rebecca hung up the phone with Neal, he cursed and punched the cab's window enraged.

"Hey man, easy!" protested the cabbie

"Sorry" said Neal running a frustrated hand through his hair. He couldn't believe this was happening all over again… he knew he wouldn't be able to take down Rebecca without the FBI's help; she probably had a very elaborated plan of her own already. He grabbed his phone and dialed…

"Peter, Rebecca escaped" deadpanned Neal

"I know. Get your ass here fast, we're going to DC" answered Peter

"Peter… she has Sara" said Neal with fear evident in his voice

Peter cursed under his breath, confirming all his fears and discovering why Sara's phone went dead… "It's gonna be ok, Neal. I already called DC for back-up"

"I have an address but be careful, I'm sure she won't be expecting us with a party" said Neal

"I'm sure… give it to me. We're gonna bring hell over her, even if it's the Pentagon itself, she has done enough already. I won't let her get away with this" said Peter with determination

"Thanks Peter. It's Walnut Street 45 in Georgetown" said Neal

"When you get to the airport go straight to Hangar 10, we're taking a private" said Peter

"Wow, is this because you are now section chief in DC?" teased Neal

"It's because this has become a matter of national security. She murdered a federal agent and escaped a maximum security prison" said Peter without missing a beat. He was pissed.

"Right… see what I meant by having a hard time getting a date?" said Neal trying to lighten the mood

"Too soon, Neal" said Peter and hung up. Yep, too soon to be making jokes about this. Nice going with picking the crazy ones, Caffrey, he thought.

Next thing, Neal called Mozzie "hey it's me… Rebecca has Sara and she's in DC and I'm going over there with Peter"

"What?! How?!" said Mozzie almost shouting

"I don't have time to explain but please, I need you to look closer on the codex, for anything, any clue as to what might give us some leverage on her" asked Neal

"Maybe that background check I did on her won't be so silly now, huh?" said Mozzie with an 'I told you so' voice

Neal sighed "Mozz, please…"

"Ok, Neal, I got this" said the loyal friend and hung up

Once at the airport, Neal headed directly to hangar 10 and flashed his consultant badge with a smile. The security guard frowned at it and starting shaking his head

"He's with me" said Peter grabbing Neal's arm and throwing at him the key to his anklet "Take it off" he said with a commanding voice

"Love it when you man-handle me, Peter" said Neal and he only got a glare from Peter "Sorry, I'm tense…" he added mumbling and bent down to remove the anklet and then he ran to catch up with Peter who was already jumping on a black private jet with 5 more 'suits' who Neal didn't know but he imagined they were from violent crimes division or something like that.

As soon as they sat down and buckled-up, the plane took off immediately

"We're gonna land there in one hour. Start talking, tell me everything you know" said Peter in a commanding voice seating next to Neal and then approached him and added in a whisper "is this about the Mosconi codex Hagen made you steal from the Gershon?"

Neal sighed and started telling Peter everything and how they had recently discovered about the diamond and what the codex meant

"So, you're telling me the diamond exhibited at the Smithsonian might have been a forgery from the beginning?" asked Peter connecting the dots

"Yep… probably since Mr Hope donated it" said Neal nodding and looking out the window

Peter remained silent for a few seconds "So Hagen must've known this and hired her to con you into finding it? But why go through all that trouble and why you?" asked Peter doing his usual fact-reviewing out loud and then turned to Neal again "Before the codex, did Hagen make you steal other things?"

Neal looked down at his hands on his lap "Yes"

"Neal… this isn't the time to hide any detail" sounded Peter's menacing voice

"I wouldn't be with so many Feds around" whispered Neal

"I am a Fed. Now, talk" glared Peter

Neal sighed… Hagen was dead anyway… "I helped Hagen's defense for his sentence to be dropped"

Peter did a sharp intake of air "How"

"Look, Peter, details for that are not important anymore, what matters is that he got out and he was free to do whatever he pleased" said Neal leaning heavily on the window, somehow trying to relieve how caged he felt here against the window inside of a private plane full of Feds

Instead of Peter strangling Neal, his brain started going a hundred miles per hour "Yet, he kept your around to do his dirty work"

"He's just an art forger, not a thief. She might have been using him actually" said Neal quietly "Rebecca was obsessed with Mosconi, well, that's what she said anyway… it could've been part of the long con…"

"Mosconi might not have been her only obsession" provided Peter with a hint of sarcasm "She seemed pretty in love with you"

Neal just kept his eyes focused on his hands "She didn't… love me, Peter. I was just a target for her"

Peter's heart softened at Neal's voice, which was full of sadness and pain "I'm sorry"

"It's ok… I guess I got a dose of my own medicine" said Neal bitterly

"Neal, you never made anyone fall in love with you just for the sake of the con. And you have never killed anybody" said Peter putting a reassuring hand over Neal's forearm

Neal looked up and defensively said "I wasn't in love with her" Peter just tilted his head to one side not believing at all. Neal insisted "I guess I just… I just fell in love with the idea of having someone normal in my life"

"Does that mean the eternal conman finally wants to settle down?" teased Peter

"Please, don't…" said Neal a little hurt at Peter's teasing

Peter chuckled "Look, Neal, this is good. I mean, not that Rebecca conned you but if you look at the bright side, she just gave you the extra push you needed to figure out what you want in life"

Neal looked up and leaned slightly towards Peter whispering so that the other agents wouldn't hear "What I want the most" he said and then put a finger on Peter's chest "is for you to trust me someday"

Peter was taken aback; he did not expect this, not here, not now. He was silent, speechless.

Neal chuckled and just shook his head "It's ok, Peter. I know you care about me, but maybe your trust is just something that will never be for me"

Peter frowned and took a deep dive into his emotions. If he could only tell Neal, how much he actually cared for him and how much responsibility he took in everything they had been through together; how much he wanted to trust him but was afraid of letting go of his emotions and lose his judgment, lose himself in the blurry edgy lines that Neal was always pushing him into. He was a man that needed solid boundaries and structure and the thing that most frustrated him about Neal, was exactly what he wished he had the most. The fearless agent Burke was not so fearless, he was very dependent on facts and reality, and he wasn't like Neal, so carefree and fearless, so willing to enjoy life as it came. And as much as it frustrated him, Peter knew that this is why he admired and respected Neal so much. And he wanted to trust him but the line between the handler and the friend had become an obstacle and a safe house at the same time: He was afraid of letting go of one of the two, he needed to feel in control and he also wanted him as a friend.

"You know, I understand that you feel as Dr. Summers told me" said Neal and then cleared his throat and made quote fingers "Not because you start doing good things means you're gonna stop doing bad things" finished Neal reciting "and she's right… Rebecca also helped me to confirm that" said Neal and leaned back in his seat sighing "I'm not like my father, reckless and selfish, but I'm not like you either, righteous and in need of control; I like gray areas and I enjoy redrawing the lines of what is wrong and what is right. I can't be by the book like you Peter… and I know that's why you would never be able to trust me completely but that is also why our partnership worked so well: you draw the lines and then I walk beyond, to where you dare not go. But you always pull me back…"

At this point, Peter had loosened his tie, unbuckled his seatbelt and bit on his inside cheek for the millionth time. Everything that Neal was saying was just scaring him beyond control. Damn him, he could've been a friking shrink, he thought.

"Neal, shut up" he said with such a deep voice that made Neal look at him intently

Peter knew that Neal was right. He had made Neal go where he would never dare go and he didn't even feel remorse for doing so, because he always stayed on the shore with well-anchored feet ready to pull Neal back whenever it was needed. He remained on the safe side while making Neal do the dirty work… 'Just like Hagen did', said an evil voice in his head. Peter grimaced and winced at this sudden conclusion his mind jumped to.

"Peter, you look flustered… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you and it's not like you made me do the dirty work like Hagen did but in a way…" started Neal but was cut off again

"Shut up! Just…" said Peter through gritted teeth

Neal knew exactly what he was doing but playing innocent now was the only way he was going to get Peter on his side again. Plus, he was indeed tired of being everyone's puppet and he would damn make sure Peter knew

Neal was on a roll and he was not about to let this go until he got what he wanted "Peter, before I started working with you, I never imagined myself confined into a 2 mile radius. And you made me so scared and so doubtful of my own ability to be good that… I just, I now get scared sometimes of what I would become if I went free again. This anklet has become some sort of medication for my schizophrenia or something… and now I don't know how to be free again… with so many rules and boundaries you taught me… phew… it's just a lot to process every day"

Peter had closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He was breathing hard…

Neal glanced briefly at him and continued "But the truth is, you have given me all the structure I never had growing up. I thought I was confident before but I was just fooling myself. I am confident now because I know my own boundaries, my flaws and virtues. I know what I want…" he nudged Peter with his elbow just to get him to look at him and then continued lowering his voice "I need you to stop chasing the criminal in me. You already caught me. Twice. I'm not going anywhere…" finished Neal and then added with a little smirk "You had me at 'Hello… you're under arrest'"

Peter visibly relaxed and laughed out loud at Neal's latest statement. He was so right but the smug bastard was never gonna let it go if he told him so. Peter just nodded and cleared his throat… "Okay…" was all he was able to say

"Okay…" answered Neal back with a satisfied smile. He knew Peter needed time to process all this but he was sure it had gotten through him.

They didn't speak for a while until something clicked on Neal… "Hagen didn't know what the codex contained and Rebecca did, from the beginning, that's why she even chose her alias"

Peter looked at him and as they usually did, finished Neal's theory "So Hagen was just a patsy. Rebecca was pulling the strings all along"

"Exactly… but why would she need me to go through all this scavenger hunt?" asked Neal

"Maybe, she just wanted to get close to you" provided Peter

"No, it doesn't make sense… if that was the case, she would've just gotten close to me and the damn codex without Hagen" said Neal and licked his lips before adding "She made sure I got you involved in this too, you know, in a dirty way" said Neal looking afraid "Peter, this was the result of a very long, very well planned con"

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Back in Georgetown…

Forty minutes had passed and Sara was beginning to get restless and numb from having her arms cuffed behind her back. Rachel was immersed into her laptop doing whatever psychos did while having someone kidnapped.

"So, what are you gonna do once Neal gets here? Kill me and run with him to an island?" asked Sara

Rebecca didn't look up from her computer but smirked "Not a bad idea"

Sara sighed frustrated "So what's all this art in here? Are you a collector?"

"Shut up, Sara, none of your business" replied Rachel still immersed in whatever cyber activities she had going on there

Sara took a look around and started actually seeing everything. The walls, the high ceilings, the many paintings and sculptures, the shelve full of what looked cans of oil painting, a full set of brushes of all sizes, blank canvases lying there waiting to be filled. And in the corner, a cozy little space that held a queen-sized bed covered with silk sheets and next to it, a small kitchen with a variety of wines, next to a coffee French press and what was distinctively, a professional oven that a professional chef would use. Sara then looked next to the bed where a huge elegant wooden carved mirror stood next to a coat hanger holding wigs and hats. Sara started realizing that this place was actually a very nice place to live, very artsy and bohemian but cozy, elegant and unique. It almost looked like Neal's loft, minus the art and art studio… It clicked on Sara that maybe this woman had been nesting this place to spend it with Neal somehow. Sara wasn't sure what her motives were but she clearly had feelings for him.

At that moment, Rachel cursed under her breath and grabbed her phone "What the fuck do you want"

Sara paid close attention to her side of the conversation but she wasn't talking much

"Huh… I told you I would... Two days" and that was it, she just hung up

"Trouble in paradise?" asked Sara innocently

Rachel just glared "Be quiet or I'll put you to sleep"

After a minute… "How did you and Neal meet?" asked Sara risking a chance again

Rachel just sighed "You aren't gonna stay quiet, are you?", Sara shrugged and saw how Rachel kept rubbing her temples

"You have a headache?" asked Sara

"You're a genius" stated Rachel sarcastically through gritted teeth

"I got some excedrin in my purse if you want" offered Sara indicating with her shoulder

Rachel actually went for Sara's purse and emptied the contents carelessly on the couch taking the bottle of pills and swallowing two. She then noticed a bunch of postcards inside as well. She got closer and smirked at the contents.

"Hey! That's, um, private" said Sara now really embarrassed. Those postcards were the ones she hadn't dared to send to Neal; of course she had written more than one but she never had the nerve of sending the others.

"Well… isn't this pathetic? Lots of love letters for Neal!" said Rachel now grinning

"You don't get to judge me. You got a whole dream room set up for Neal here. I'd say we're both pretty pathetic" muttered Sara

At that, Rachel frowned "This isn't a dream room for Neal"

"The coffee, wine, art, the professional oven…? Please…" said Sara rolling her eyes

Rachel cocked her gun again at Sara "Shut. Up"

Sara flinched and leaned back on the couch "Ok, just saying…" she said leaning back on the couch "The FBI is probably coming too you know, I hope you have an escape plan"

Rachel smirked "Of course I do, but don't worry, if Neal really cares about you, he won't be as stupid as to bring the cavalry. He broke out of prison once, for Kate. Let's see what kind of lengths he is willing to go this time… for you"

Sara tightened her jaw. This woman was obsessed and crazy but she sure knew how to use words because that got to her, deeply. Not that she was comparing herself to Kate, that was something else, but in her deepest thoughts and with the most visceral part of herself, she found this idea of Neal playing hero, very appealing. She closed her eyes and shook her head. It wasn't like that and her rational-self told her so but still, it would have felt nice for Neal to fight a little harder for her when she left… hell, she would've been very willing to stay if only Neal had even asked her to but instead, he was very understanding and 'happy for her'. As ridiculous as it sounds, sometimes women like their men to fight a little harder for them, damsel in distress and all, even if they don't show it. Beautiful contradictions, she thought.

Back in NY, Mozzie got desperate not finding anything in the codex and decided this was a moment of true chaos in which the universe wouldn't mind the little misplace of its elements: He headed towards the FBI quarters…

"Suit Jones, I need your help" said the little man to Jones

"What? Mozzie, what are you doing here? Come, let's go to Peter's office" said Jones really concerned; Mozzie didn't step into the FBI unless something really bad was going on

"Yes, lets. You better call Diana as well" said Mozzie shaking a little "And gather up all the evidence you found in Rebecca's apartment. Now! Keep up!"

Jones frowned and was about to tell him to shove his orders up his rear end but thought better and went immediately to do as told. This was no time to be looking at hierarchies.

Peter and Neal landed on DC and immediately touched base with local FBI. When Peter called Bruce, they had already set up a perimeter of undercover agents around the given address and had set up quite an operation there, with snipers, NSA and SWAT team, all very discreet and James-Bondsy. Neal was impressed… so this is DC, he thought.

"Alright, listen up, Neal. This isn't the time to be playing hero ok? I want you to do exactly as we say. Now you're gonna call her and inform her that you just arrived and…"

"Peter, I…" interrupted Neal

"No! You listen to me! I am not going to risk losing you in there, not over my dead body. She already killed Siegel, that's more than enough" said Peter grabbing Neal by the shoulder forcefully and turning him around from curious eyes, he added "Take this" while he put his small leg-revolver inside Neal's belt under his jacket

Neal felt the distinctive metal being pushed on his belt "No, Peter…"

"I trust you" said Peter looking directly into his eyes with a little smile

Neal would've loved to hear those words anytime, except when he was having Peter's gun shoved into his pants –no pun intended- in case his crazy ex-girlfriend decided to pull one on them.

"She studied you, she won't be expecting you to have a gun" he added with a wink

Clever, Neal thought and just buttoned his jacket gracefully and nodded swallowing hard.

"You call her, now" said Peter leaving no time for further questions

Neal felt the blood run hot through his veins, adrenaline pumping hard all around his body

Rebecca felt her phone vibrate and grinned "Look! It's Neal!" she said to Sara before picking up with the sweetest of tones "Hi Neal"

"Rebecca, I'm on my way to the address you gave me. Let Sara go" said Neal cold as ice. Peter listening close by

"I love that you keep calling me Rebecca... and I do believe you, I've been hacking into the Marshall's records just to make sure you didn't lie to me" she said getting closer to her laptop

Neal gasped and Peter winked at him and motioned for him to continue "Well, you see I can keep my promises. They're thoroughly looking for me all over the country so you better tell me what you want before they find me"

"Very well, Neal… just get yourself here soon so that we can finally solve the Mosconi mystery together. Aren't you excited? I know how much you love these adventures!" she said cheerfully and hung up

"Thanks, Peter. How did you know?" said Neal admiring his friend's intelligence at covering his tracks with the Marshall's

"I can be smart too, you know?" answered Peter smugly "Now, come on. You ready for this?"

Neal cleared his throat "As I'll ever be"

"Ok, we got you covered. No audio this time but infrared monitoring says there are two people there and we can track your movements and any metallic object, she is armed, so be careful" instructed Peter

"How come we don't have infrared back in NY?" asked Neal

"Neal, this isn't the time…" scolded Peter

"Ok, sorry. Just curious" he said sheepishly

Peter chuckled "Be safe, buddy" he said quietly and gave him a path in the back

Neal took a deep breath and knocked on the door finding it open. He entered and gasped when he saw Sara gagged and cuffed seating on the couch. He ran to her "Sara!"

Sara just opened her eyes widely feeling relief and fear at the same time. "You ok?" he hugged her and put the strands of hair back in her ears, removing the gag from her mouth

"Surprise, I'm home" she said with a half-smile and shrugging

Neal laughed and kissed her temple whispering in her ear "I have a plan but you're gonna have to un-cuff yourself like I taught you" he said slipping a little hook on her hands while he hugged her

"Ohhh isn't this sweet!" said Rebecca stepping from the back "Didn't you say you were in love with me, Neal?"

Neal just looked her in the eye, emotionless. He stood up "Rebecca"

"Yes, Neal. I told you I'd see you soon, didn't I?" she said smiling "Step away from her" she added now in all seriousness and pointing her gun at him

Neal did as told looking briefly at Sara for reassurance and then said "What do you want"

Rebecca kept walking backwards until she sat on the bed "Come here" she said in a sexy voice

Neal swallowed hard and stood there frozen not really able to read her intentions and clearly not thinking straight. The truth is, he wasn't made of stone and this woman had been able to lure him into a world of tenderness and sensuality as he hadn't been in a while. It was all fake of course, but his memory was having a hard time accepting that.

"Get over here now" commanded Rebecca, this time with gun pointed at Sara and with no smile anymore

TBC

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**Thanks for your reviews! I'm loving evil Becca... how about you? ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all your reviews, follows and favorites! You're the best!**

**Now, here's the last chapter with a plot twist you won't see coming... LOL! **

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**Chapter 7**

"Get over here now" commanded Rebecca, this time with gun pointed at Sara and with no smile anymore

Neal put his hands up in self-defense "Ok, ok, just put the gun down" he said and looked at Sara with a pained expression

Sara just nodded "S'okay" she whispered while she was working discreetly on unlocking herself

Rebecca laughed "Oh my God! He doesn't need your permission, you idiot! He forgot about you the day you left!"

Neal didn't say anything and just walked slowly towards the bed blocking Sara from Rebecca's line of sight. Rebecca smiled mischievously and grabbed Neal's tie pulling him to stand slightly in between her legs. Neal had no emotion in his face and tried to avoid eye contact with her.

She pulled his tie a little more to make him bend over "Kiss me, Neal" she whispered

Neal looked up pulling back "You're begging now? That's sad, Becca" he said a sad little smirk

Rebecca cocked the gun and put it on Neal's stomach

"Ok, when you ask so nicely…" he said sarcastically and obliged. He kissed her briefly and then wiped at his mouth "Now what" he deadpanned

"Tell me you didn't feel anything" she whispered

At that moment Neal saw Rebecca again; the sweet girl who had gotten under his skin, with those big blue innocent eyes and freckled face. How can a woman so beautiful be so deceiving? Out of the corner of his eye, he saw their reflection in the mirror. 'Talk about beautiful and deceiving, Caffrey', screamed his subconscious. How many times had he used his smile and good-looking features to deceive, lie and get his way? He had never killed anyone but aside from that, he was just like Rebecca…

He snapped out of it "All I can feel is your gun pointed at me" he deadpanned

Rebecca didn't change her innocent expression and put the gun on the bed. She stood up and placed her hands on his chest before sliding them up to wrap them around his neck caressing his hair there and hugging him tenderly. Neal just closed his eyes trying to remain in control and in that moment he realized that all that he could feel for this woman was compassion. The life of a criminal is lonely, he knew it very well. But he didn't want to be that way anymore, never again. He wanted to have a family, friends, stability, a home and to be able to recognize himself in the mirror, with no aliases, just him.

Neal sighed and tried to pull her away "Rebecca…"

"Hey…" she said smiling up at him

He shook his head "Look, it doesn't have to be like this, the Marshall's might find me and…"

She started smiling "Neal, they won't find you as long as you're with me. You and I can go away and be happy together. Let's just go now"

Neal tried to stall "What about the codex, we need to figure out where the diamond is and then…"

"Shhh" she said putting a finger on his lips "Ok, tell me what you found out" she said as if humoring a 5 year-old while making him seat on the bed

Neal frowned but played along "Well, I found out what it means, it's a phrase"

"Oh yeah? Tell me what it is" she said smiling and holding his hand

"Well, it says that 'Sita winks to deceive. Hope is fake when Love is fierce like a lion' so it might mean that the diamond at the museum is a fake but we don't know where it is, maybe it doesn't even exist" finished Neal playing innocent and not mentioning about the Lowe word he had found

She grinned proudly and started caressing his hair "I love how smart you are! What else?"

"I don't know, I was expecting you could help me" he said sheepishly and out of the corner of his eye caught Sara's presence, who just had an indecipherable expression, a mix of fear, confusion and what seemed like repulsion.

Rebecca smiled again and crossed her legs "Well…" she started speaking animatedly as she did back when she got passionate about the codex before she went psycho "Yes, the one in the Smithsonian is a fake, Mosconi's manuscripts are fake too, chapter 13 doesn't exist"

"But, what about Hagen? I stole it from the Gershon!" protested Neal

Rebecca held his hand to shush him and continued "Hagen was a moron" she said rolling her eyes "I spread the rumor to him so he would get greedy about it and made him think it was his idea with the restoration he was doing. It was very easy actually. He's not that brilliant, you know? But I did everything. Well, the legend of Sita and the diamonds is real, but Mosconi's manuscripts and the masons, are not. I only had to steal the diamond and replace it with a fake"

"But why?" asked Neal

Rebecca swallowed hard and took a deep breath "Neal, sometimes we make mistakes and I did some of my own. Now I need you to listen to me before you react, ok sweetie?"

Neal just nodded and bit his tongue from retorting back that he hated to be called sweetie and especially not by her.

"I learned about the diamond from someone a year ago and he then said he had a job for me that involved getting a criminal out of prison through you and Burke. The payment would be half of the diamond which is not bad, considering it is worth 250 million. I just had to steal it and replace it with a fake" she said casually explaining as if talking about the weather. She licked her lips and continued "So, it seemed pretty easy and accepted the deal, it was a long con because it involved seducing you and everything, he even showed me a picture of you and well, you were…"

"Marginally easy on the eyes?" completed Neal the phrase with irony in his voice which seemed to go unnoticed by her

Rebecca grinned "Yeah! See, not everything I told you was fake!"

Neal sighed "And then what happened"

"Then, I thought it would be even better because I would actually enjoy fooling around with you. So I started the job, investigating about you and everything but as you said yourself, I didn't expect this" she said pointing back and forth from him to her "us", she added sheepishly looking up through her lashes "I even fell in love with you before we met. I mean, from learning so much of you, I was just fascinated!"

Neal did a sharp intake of air and prayed silently to whatever God heard him, to help him remain calmed and unaffected by this mirror being pushed into his face. This was too much of a self-assessment into his own feelings "So how about the phrase. Why that phrase in the codex?"

"Oh that was just to have fun. If you noticed, the word Love in ancient Roman is written with a W instead of a V, so that's where I got my alias" she said grinning at her clever plan "I wanted you to figure it out and come with me here, to this place I set up for you but then" her smile disappeared "Peter Burke got in the way"

Neal tried to make her remain on a good mood "Becca, I tried to warn you but Peter's got me on a leash"

"Yeah, yeah… I don't believe you did, Neal. But then I realized you did love me and nothing else matters so we can move on with my plan" she said wrapping her arms again on his neck

Neal swallowed hard "So what now" while he pleaded silently for Sara to uncuff herself soon.

"So now, I have a plan" she said whispering conspiratorially on his ear. She stood up and walked to the nightstand to retrieve the wood box that contained the diamond "Open it"

Neal stood up and opened it gasping at its contents. Sure enough, there it was: the famous Hope diamond.

"I'm supposed to give this to the bastard in two days but before that, you and I, are gonna run with it!" she said excitedly hugging him tightly

Neal grimaced when he felt that Peter's gun had made contact with her stomach.

She immediately looked up surprised with a wicked smile. Neal closed his eyes and heard a gun being cocked...

"Let me see if I get this, Rachel. I put the diamond in your radar, give you the perfect plan to get out clean through poor old fart narcissistic Hagen. Then you get caught and I help you escape… and now this? Really?" said one of Neal's biggest foes, who was pointing a gun at his head

Neal instinctively put his arms around Rebecca closing his eyes. He didn't need to turn his face to recognize the voice of Matthew Keller.

Rebecca glared at him and with a face meant for the most disappointing of situations, Keller continued "Ugh… women, always falling in love. Caffrey I gotta give it to you, man. All these ladies! Wow!" he said patting his shoulder

Neal looked at Rebecca with fear in his eyes and she smiled wickedly "That's right. Love is something you won't ever know of, Keller" she said before quickly withdrawing the gun from Neal's pants and emptying it on Keller's stomach through Neal's jacket.

In that moment Sara, who had managed to get uncuffed, taking advantage of the distraction, grabbed her phone to dial Peter for help

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!" yelled Rebecca walking over to Sara with gun aimed at her

Neal reacted fast and grabbed the gun that Rebecca left on the bed, pointing it straight at her "It's over, Rachel, drop it" he said through gritted teeth "You have no bullets left in there"

She laughed "I always leave one, just in case" she said shrugging and cocked the gun stepping closer to Sara

"I mean it, Rachel, drop it!" he yelled now

She gave him a sad smug smile "You wouldn't shoot me, Neal" she walked closer to Sara ready to shoot her "Nice meeting you, Sara"

"FBI! DROP YOUR WEAPON NOW!" yelled Peter getting in with the whole cavalry

Rebecca grabbed Sara by the neck and made her a human shield pointing the gun on her temple

"Hi Agent Burke!" said Rebecca happily "You see, Sara, Neal didn't come alone for you"

"Rachel Turner, drop the weapon now. You're surrounded, there's no way out" commanded Peter

"You should listen to him" said Neal pointing the gun again

"How could you do this to me, Neal?" asked Rebecca showing true shock and tearful eyes

Neal almost marveled at her ability to change moods and faces that quickly "You did this to yourself" he said sadly

"She doesn't deserve to be with you. You and I are meant to be together! I know you!" she yelled frustrated

Neal saw a window of opportunity and took a deep breath. He didn't like guns but he knew how to use them "People can change, you don't know me at all" he said bitterly and shot Rebecca on the arm making her drop the gun in pain

It all happened very fast… Sara ran to Peter's side; Rebecca doubled over in pain looking up at Neal, betrayal and pain evident in her eyes; FBI agents went to cuff her and before they took her away she said sadly "Neal, don't fool yourself, people don't change"

"They do" he said angrily

Rebecca just smiled "They only put on new masks… you and I, are two sides of the same mirror"

"Take her away!" yelled Peter coming to take the gun from Neal's hand "You ok?" he whispered grabbing his shoulder

Neal had a blank expression and a hollow look in his normally bright blue eyes. He nodded and turned around to see Keller's lifeless body lying on the floor "It was Keller from the beginning"

Peter nodded "I know. Mozzie figured it out with Jones and he called me. That's the only reason we came in here. Keller was wearing ice-packs all over his body to avoid transmitting heat to the infrared system" said Peter explaining "Rachel saved your life"

Neal nodded and doubled over leaning his hands on his knees breathing hard and coughing; all the tension and adrenaline taking its toll on his body. Peter rubbed his back gently. They were the only ones left in the room and Peter pulled Neal to a standing position with his arm around his waist to help him walk to the bed "It's OK, Neal. Take it easy. It's over now" he said repeatedly rubbing Neal's back gently

Neal couldn't help but get tearful eyes "I wanted to kill her, Peter" he said enraged, frustrated trying really hard to hold back tears "I could've killed her!"

"But you didn't, Neal, you're not a killer" said Peter gently and reassuringly

"What if she's right?" said Neal looking up at Peter letting tears now roll freely "What if I can't really change? What's stopping me from becoming a killer?"

Peter tightened his jaw and breathed in hard "Neal, don't say that. That's not who you are"

"Then who am I, Peter?!" said Neal now yelling

Peter just grabbed Neal's shoulders "Listen to me!" forcefully grabbed Neal's face making him look at him "You're my best friend and one of the best men I've known in my whole fucking life. That's who you are, damn it! You have to believe it"

Neal looked at Peter with pale blue eyes full of fear and just leaned on his shoulder letting the sobs now come freely. Peter hugged him and no more words were spoken.

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**So, ok maybe an epilogue might be in order now... :)**


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